Windows shattered by bullets at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. (CBS4)

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said 12 people died inside the school, 2 died outside of the school, 1 person died on the corner near the school and 2 people died at hospital.

The suspected shooter, identified as Nikolas Cruz, 19, is in custody.

Cruz, a former student who was expelled last year, used an AR-15 rifle and had multiple magazines on him, according to BSO.

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said earlier in the day he was not sure why Cruz was kicked out of the school.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) said the shooter had a gas mask on, pulled the fire alarm then used smoke grenades as students ran out. As for where the suspected gunman might have gotten the weapons, Nelson said “I have no idea.”

“He always had guns on him and stuff like that,” said a student who knew Cruz. “He was a little bit of a troubled kid.”

Israel made a point to mention that people who know something is not right or see something that shouldn’t be have a responsibility to do the right thing.

“If you are on a website and you know something or you’ve seen something, you see a person with rifles and weaponry, and you see something that’s not right, you owe it to your family, you owe it to your community and you owe it to law enforcement to make this a safer nation by calling up someone tonight,” Israel said. “Call up the FBI, call up the Broward Sheriff’s Office, call up someone tonight and let them know that you have information that something’s not right. You can prevent a major tragedy like this devastation that happened in Parkland tonight.”

Another student, who was in the thick of the gunfire said, “It was really traumatic to watch. A lot people were bleeding out and there was blood everywhere,” she said. “It’s hitting me but it’s still shocking to me. There’s a video with gunshots and the person next to me took that and with all the social media and it’s so crazy how I was so close to that and I’m so grateful to be living right now.”

Investigators and crime scene technicians are working into the night, combing through evidence at the school. What looked like gunshots could be seen in one of the school’s windows.

Windows shattered by bullets at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. (CBS4)

Earlier in the evening, medical examiners were walking through the building, presumably examining the bodies, said Broward Mayor Beam Furr, who was a teacher for 25 years. Furr has two sons who graduated from the school and a daughter, who is currently a senior. She was not hurt.

Officers arrested Cruz around 4 p.m., in a community near the school located at 11735 NW 47th Drive. Police later rushed him to Broward Health North hospital with a police escort. Israel said Cruz did not have significant injuries. He has since been taken to BSO headquarters.

The father of a student at the school says the suspected shooter was allegedly “wearing a black vest with a red shirt…and supposedly he pulled the fire alarm and planned it,” according to CBS This Morning.

The school was placed on lockdown for a few hours after the call came in around 2 p.m. Throughout the afternoon, students were trickling out slowly as SWAT moved in on each classroom. Many students came out with their hands up and tears in their eyes. When they came out, students were leaving their backpacks in a pile outside of the school.

Inside the school, a student shared a picture as they took cover during the shooting.

NEW: Photo from a student in the school barricaded in a classroom at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High where an active shooter incident is underway pic.twitter.com/rBVrENjtCM

During the lockdown, CBS4’s Rick Folbaum spoke via text messages with a student at the school who was hiding in a closet. She was later freed.

“All of a sudden there was a really loud noise…..people are crying the closet,” the student wrote to him earlier.

Officers are asking people to avoid the area.

President Donald Trump shared his condolences over Twitter and said he was speaking with Florida Governor Rick Scott.

“My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.”

Governor Scott issued a statement on the shooting saying, “Just spoke with @POTUS about shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, their families and the entire community. We will continue to receive briefings from law enforcement and issue updates.”

Scott arrived in Parkland early Wednesday evening and said he would be remaining in South Florida to lend assistance wherever needed.

“As soon as this happened I started having updates from Sheriff Israel, I’ve talked to President Trump, the Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, Superintendent Runice, the Commissioner for Florida Department of Law Enforcement Rick Swearingen, and I know everybody has worked tirelessly to make sure we do everything to keep everybody safe and have a thorough investigation,” Scott said.

He added, “This is just absolutely, pure evil.”

Parents of students were asked to go to the Marriott Heron Bay located at 11775 Heron Bay Blvd in Coral Springs. As of 5 p.m., parents were being allowed in to be reunited with their kids.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will be closed Thursday and Friday and all activities have been cancelled. The rest of the Broward Schools will be open.

Superintendent Runcie said that grief counselors will be available starting Thursday morning.

Students and family members can go to Pines Trail Park located at 10555 Trails End in Parkland, starting at 8 a.m.

Counselors for school staff members will be available at Parkland Library, 6620 North University Drive.

Counselors will also be at West Glades Middle, which is located adjacent to Stoneman Douglas High School.

“I have five advocates headed in right now, I will have at least ten more tomorrow, driving in from all over the state,” said Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We will pay for the funeral expenses of these poor victims and do everything we can to help their families. The State of Florida, we will pay for counselling for the surviving victims. We will pay for students that need counselling.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI are taking part in the investigation.

Have you lost your minds? The reporter said that he was being texted by someone hiding in the gym closet. There seemed to be a lot of kids in there or words to that effect. You just told the shooter on the air where they are hiding!

This a Satanic Demonic attack upon the youth of our Country. IF WE DO NOT RETURN TO A BIBLE BELIEVING CHURCH, WE ARE DOOMED. CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS, HE”LL COME SO FAST BECAUSE HE CARES FOR US. That is the TRUTH
IDEOLOGY’S are colliding, but there is ONLY ONE GOD, HE’S YOUR ANSWER TO EVERYTHING!!!

The only thing I am sure of is that there is better than a 99% chance that it is a gun free zone. Strange how all of these things seem to happen in gun free zones. Of course, next they will call for a ban on assault weapons, but none of these jerks can tell you what an assault weapon is. But the body count continues to grow at gun free zones, the only continuing verifiable true stat

Something is wrong in the mental health field for these young kids. That or the computer games these kids use are teaching them that shooting is just play. Our society is reaping the whirlwind with the permissive attitudes too many Americans have.

It’s a spiritual problem, as old as Cain killing his brother Abel. Abel was a man who loved God. Cain rejected God. Had the same parents.
Everyone needs to have a relationship with God, which can only come through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Only God through Christ can fix what’s broken in all of us.

Why don’t we have armed sharp shooters at every one of these schools? It is the only way to end this carnage. It’s criminal and irresponsible that we don’t protect these kids. Liberals and their policies are debilitating and dangerous proven once again…

I never believed in false flags before, but now I’m beginning to wonder. Guaranteed the dems will use this tragedy as an excuse to call for eliminating guns and condemn Trump for supporting the 2nd Amendment. And it also serves as a distraction for corruption being uncovered in the plot of high ranking members of the FBI and Obama himself to deny Trump the presidency.

If the teachers were armed there would have been limited causalities. Guns/knives/bats are all tools that are used by a person. The person is the only true weapon the rest are just tools. We are obligated and entitled to defend ourselves. Criminal tyrants that would disarm good people are the problem.

My heart and prayers goes out to all of the victims and their loved ones. One should NEVER send their kids to school and have to worry about their children. We must tighten up on weapons and how to control them. Our children are the most precious and valuable gift we will ever have. They should always come first and be protected. May GOD wrap his arms around all and heal their pain. You are in my prayers and hearts. GOD BLESS!